Raiders general manager coy about plans for this week’s NFL Draft

But smart money says team will push to upgrade on defense

Coyness is a requirement for NFL executives before the draft. On Friday, Reggie McKenzie fulfilled his. The Raiders general manager sat inside an auditorium in the team facility, there to answer questions at a predraft news conference but not tip his team’s hand. And so, he evaded the obvious, the former NFL linebacker treating truth like an offensive tackle when reporters asked how defense might rule the Raiders’ draft. He shed it. “Don’t be surprised if I draft all offensive players,” McKenzie said with a smile. “How about that?”

Right.

Expectations on this draft are not to be based off McKenzie’s coyness. The chuckling from reporters that followed is a better barometer. There is little secret what’s coming this week after an offense-heavy period in free agency: defense, defense and defense.

Oakland has a first-round pick Thursday.

It is scheduled to pick twice Friday across the second and third rounds.

With Marshawn Lynch having yet to be acquired, the Raiders aren’t without a significant need at running back, and there are questions at right tackle, where Austin Howard is recovering from shoulder surgery.

But it seems a foregone conclusion McKenzie will devote the majority, if not entirety, of his earliest draft resources toward the defensive side of the ball. The trend likely will continue to some degree on the draft’s third day, rounds four to seven.

McKenzie did not need to tip his hand at Friday’s news conference. He already did in free agency. The Raiders were fairly active, signing swing tackle Marshall Newhouse for depth on the offensive line. They needed more speed at wide receiver and a spark in the return game only to add Cordarrelle Patterson, someone capable of providing both. They were solid enough at tight end, but could have used another weapon to upgrade their “12” personnel grouping (one running back, two tight ends). They signed Jared Cook.

Their lack of quarterback depth proved debilitating last season after Derek Carr suffered a broken fibula in December. Veteran E.J. Manuel joined in March. So many moves. So little done on defense. Today, the desperation for linebacker help is more dire than a gambling man seeking a third seven on his final-credit slot turn. Malcolm Smith struggled mightily in 2016, including in coverage, while leading Raiders linebackers with 934 defensive snaps. Perry Riley, a midseason signing, finished third with 628 snaps but did not impress in his extended look. Neither is on the team now, Smith a 49er and Riley a free agent.

An athletic prospect with sideline-to-sideline range would go a long way.

The wait this draft could be short. Alabama’s Reuben Foster, Florida’s Jarrad Davis and Temple’s Haason Reddick are among the possible options who could fit the bill.

Oakland’s interior defensive line also needs bolstering. And that was before the Raiders released veteran Dan Williams, whose impact on the weight scale received more attention than his on-field play after a hefty contract extension in 2015.

Cornerback help, someone who can play nickel, and overall depth along the defense project as priorities, too.

The Raiders have eight picks. One falls in each of the first six rounds, and two are in the seventh. It does not serve McKenzie’s interests to parade his strategy before he exercises them.

“We’re going to take the best

Reggie McKenzie GM has eight picks in the draft.

Marcio Jose Sanchez The Associated Press Raiders owner Mark Davis, left, and GM Reggie McKenzie. Most experts expect the Raiders to try to bolster their defense when it comes time for picking in the NFL draft.